IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,420,704
Granted Patent B2
US 12,420,704 · App. 18/227,551 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Systems and methods to determine awakening lead time for waking up sleeping driver

Inventors: Benjamin Piya Austin (Saline, MI); John K. Lenneman (Okemos, MI); Joshua E. Domeyer (Madison, WI); Philip J. Babian (Canton, MI)
Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.; Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
B60Q9/00A61B5/4809A61B5/4812G08B21/18A61B2503/22
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,420,704
App. No.
18/227,551
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods providing sleep service in a vehicle to wake up a sleeping driver at a wake-up time based on the user profile of the driver are disclosed. In one embodiment, a sleeping service system includes a processor, a data receiver, an alarm, and a non-transitory memory module communicatively coupled to the processor, and a set of machine-readable instructions stored on the memory module that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations. The operations include accessing a user profile of a driver, accessing a route information, calculating an action time based on one or more of upcoming events, calculating a current leading time based on the user profile, and providing a wake-up notification to the driver at a wake-up time based on the action time and the current leading-time period.

Claims (43)

1. A method of providing sleep service in a vehicle comprising:

accessing a user profile of a driver, the user profile comprising user activity data and user biometric data;

accessing route information;

calculating an action time based on one or more upcoming events;

calculating a current leading-time period based on the user profile;

providing a wake-up notification to the driver at a wake-up time based on the action time and the current leading-time period; and

wherein:

the current leading-time period comprises a base leading-time period and a deviation leading-time period, and

the deviation leading-time period is determined based on recent user activity data, recent user biometric data, historic user activity data, and historic user biometric data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user activity data and the user biometric data are acquired from one or more of smart home servers, consumer electronics, automatic biometric monitoring technologies, and manual inputs.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user activity data comprise one or more of physical activities, sleeping and waking data, diet, driving performance, and psychological status.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user biometric data comprise one or more of vital signs comprising one or more of temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current leading-time period further comprises an adjustment leading-time period.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein one or more machine learning functions are applied to calculate the base leading-time period, the deviation leading-time period, and the adjustment leading-time period.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the adjustment leading-time period is determined based on user parameters.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the user parameters comprise one or more of information of present sleeping status of the driver, wake-up planning, and food intake, drink intake and medication intake before driving.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sleeping status comprises said driver's sleep depth, sleep phase, biological clock, and elapsed sleeping time.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base leading-time period is calculated based on a baseline leading profile comprising the historic user activity data and the historic user biometric data.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deviation leading-time period is generated by comparing the historic user activity data and the historic user biometric data with the recent user activity data and the user biometric data.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wake-up notification comprises an alarm to wake up the driver.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the alarm comprises sound, physical contact, light, or heat; and

the alarm is determined by one or more of machine learning functions.

14. A system for providing sleep service in a vehicle comprising:

a processor;

a data receiver; an alarm;

a non-transitory memory module communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a set of machine-readable instructions stored on the memory module that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

accessing a user profile of a driver, the user profile comprising user activity data and user biometric data;

accessing route information;

calculating an action time based on one or more upcoming events;

calculating a current leading-time period based on the user profile;

providing a wake-up notification to the driver at a wake-up time based on the action time and the current leading-time period; and

wherein:

the current leading-time period comprises a base leading-time period and a deviation leading-time period, and

the deviation leading-time period is determined based on recent user activity data, recent user biometric data, historic user activity data, and historic user biometric data.

15. The system for providing sleep service in a vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the data receiver acquires the user activity data and the user biometric data from one or more of smart home servers, consumer electronics, automatic biometric monitoring technologies, and manual inputs, and transfers the user activity data and the user biometric data to the processor.

16. The system for providing sleep service in a vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the processor accesses the user activity data and the user biometric data and creates the user profile.

17. The system for providing sleep service in a vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the user profile is stored locally in the memory module or remotely in a cloud storage.

18. The system for providing sleep service in a vehicle of claim 14 , wherein:

the alarm comprises sound, physical contact, light, or heat;

and the alarm is determined by one or more machine learning functions.

19. The system for providing sleep service in a vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the alarm is installed in the vehicle or in mobile devices taken with said driver or a non-driver in the vehicle.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2025
From: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 072779/0394 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2023
From: AUSTIN, BENJAMIN PIYA; LENNEMAN, JOHN K.; DOMEYER, JOSHUA E.; BABIAN, PHILIP J.
To: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.; TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 064420/0402 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250033559A1 · Jan 30, 2025
References Cited (10)
US 9340204B2 · Schnieders et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 11137760B2 · Latotzki et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20110022298A1 · Kronberg · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20200319635A1 · Andres et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210268902A1 · Kojima · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210370984A1 · Alibeiginabi · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220203809A1 · Shimonomoto · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20240317247A1 · Kaldobsky · 2024 [cited by examiner]
EP 3691949B1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
JP 2018149822A · 2018 [cited by applicant]